'Firefall' phenomenon wows visitors to Yosemite's El Capitan

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'Firefall' phenomenon wows visitors to Yosemite's El Capitan

Associated Press | Wednesday, February 20, 2019 1:30 a.m.

California’s Yosemite National Park is again wowing visitors and photographers with its annual ‘firefall.’ Every February for a few days, the setting sun illuminates the Horsetail Fall to make it glow like a cascade of molten lava.

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. — California’s Yosemite National Park is again wowing visitors and photographers with its annual “firefall.”

Every February for a few days, the setting sun illuminates Horsetail Fall to make it glow like a cascade of molten lava.

The natural wonder draws scores of people to Yosemite Valley for a spot near the waterfall, which flows down the granite face of the park’s famed rock formation, El Capitan.

FIREFALL: In Yosemite National Park, water rushing down the face of famous Horsetail Falls has resembled a flow of lava this week -- the "firefall" is a brief phenomenon that lasts for about five minutes right at sunset, only in winter, awing visitors https://t.co/zJQkCcqJlL pic.twitter.com/6zgqD8dS1t

— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) February 20, 2019

Horsetail Fall only flows in the winter or spring, when there is enough rain and snow. In February, the sun lights up the fall for only about two minutes at dusk.

The best views are east of El Capitan along the main roads into and out of Yosemite Valley.

Park officials say the natural phenomenon is expected to last through the weekend.

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